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Abstract:

An electronic device, computer-implemented method, and computer program
product for providing emergency alerts are disclosed. The invention
employs an emergency alert message, which directs end users to take some
particular action like evacuating an identified geographic area. The
invention further employs a geographic area message, which is based on a
particular geographic area within which all persons should receive the
emergency alert message. The invention utilizes an electronic device that
receives both the emergency alert message and the geographic area
message. The electronic device determines whether it is located within
the geographic area of concern, and if so, presents the emergency alert
message to the end user.

Claims:

1. An electronic device comprising tangible, machine-readable media
comprising executable code to perform the steps of: a. receiving an
emergency alert message and geographic area message; b. authenticating
incoming messages; c. determining whether the electronic device is
located within a geographic area of concern using location data from the
electronic device; and, d. presenting the emergency alert message to a
user only if the electronic device is located within the geographic area
of concern or within a user specified geographic area of concern.

2. The handheld electronic device of claim 1 wherein a unique identifier
is assigned to the emergency alert message, the geographic area message,
or both messages.

3. The handheld electronic device of claim 2, wherein the unique
identifier is a serial number.

4. The handheld electronic device of claim 3 wherein the tangible,
machine-readable media further comprises executable code to perform the
steps of: a. re-presenting the emergency alert message to the user after
a specified amount of time if the electronic device is located within the
geographic area of concern or within a user specified geographic area of
concern.

5. The handheld electronic device of claim 4 wherein the geographic area
of concern is based, at least in part, on factors taken from the
following group: the nature of the emergency; the severity of the threat
posed by the emergency; weather conditions; geographic jurisdiction of
the authority issuing the emergency alert message; population; evacuation
routes; and, topography.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein the tangible,
machine-readable media further comprises executable code to perform the
steps of: a. determining if the electronic device is moving; and, if the
handheld electronic device is moving, estimating the electronic device's
projected movement with time; and, b. presenting the user with the
emergency alert message if the electronic device approaches an active
geographic area of concern.

7. A computer-implemented method for providing emergency alerts
comprising: a. a computer comprising tangible, machine-readable media
comprising executable code to perform the steps of: i. selecting or
creating a primary emergency alert message; ii. creating a geographic
area message representative of a geographic area of concern; and iii.
transmitting the emergency alert message and geographic area message. b.
An electronic device comprising tangible, machine-readable media
comprising executable code to perform the steps of: i. receiving the
emergency alert message and the geographic area message ii.
authenticating incoming messages; iii. determining whether the electronic
device is located within the geographic area of concern using location
data from the handheld electronic device; and, iv. presenting the
emergency alert message to a user only if the electronic device is
located within the geographic area of concern or within a user specified
geographic area of concern.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the tangible,
machine-readable media further comprises executable code to perform the
steps of: a. re-presenting the emergency alert message to the user after
a specified amount of time if the electronic device is located within the
geographic area of concern or within a user specified geographic area of
concern.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the geographic
area of concern is based, at least in part, on factors taken from the
following group: the nature of the emergency; the severity of the threat
posed by the emergency; weather conditions; geographic jurisdiction of
the authority issuing the emergency alert message; population; evacuation
routes; and, topography.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the electronic
device further comprises executable code to perform the steps of: a.
determining if the electronic device is moving; and, if the electronic
device is moving, estimating the electronic device's projected movement
with time; and, b. presenting the user with the emergency alert message
if the electronic device approaches an active geographic area of concern.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having
instructions stored therein for causing an electronic device to alert a
user of an emergency, said instructions comprising: a. receiving an
emergency alert message and geographic area message; b. authenticating
incoming messages; c. determining whether the electronic device is
located within a geographic area of concern using location data from the
electronic device; and, d. presenting the emergency alert message to a
user only if the electronic device is located within the geographic area
of concern or within a user specified geographic area of concern.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a unique identifier
is assigned to the emergency alert message, the geographic area message,
or both messages.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the unique
identifier is a serial number.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the instructions
further comprise: a. re-presenting the emergency alert message to the
user after a specified amount of time if the electronic device is located
within the geographic area of concern or within a user specified
geographic area of concern.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the geographic area
of concern is based, at least in part, on factors taken from the
following group: the nature of the emergency; the severity of the threat
posed by the emergency; weather conditions; geographic jurisdiction of
the authority issuing the emergency alert message; population; evacuation
routes; and, topography.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the instructions
further comprise: a. determining if the electronic device is moving; and,
if the electronic device is moving, estimating the electronic device's
projected movement with time; and, b. presenting the user with the
emergency alert message if the electronic device approaches an active
geographic area of concern.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the electronic
device is a handheld electronic device.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/221,361 filed on Aug. 30, 2011, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/705,191,
filed Feb. 12, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,009,035, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/712,652,
filed Mar. 1, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,679,505. Each patent application
identified above is incorporated here by reference in its entirety to
provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for
communicating emergency alert messages to members of the public. The
invention provides an improved emergency alert system that allows for
reliable transmission of emergency information to persons within a
geographic area of concern.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Emergency alert systems are widely used. One common example of such
a system is the emergency broadcast system used on television and radio.
This system is often used to transmit information about potentially
dangerous weather conditions. Other emergency alert systems rely on
land-based telephone systems to send recorded messages to all persons
within a particular area. Evacuation orders are another form of an
emergency alert message, and these orders may rely on telephone systems,
door-to-door communication by law enforcement officers, and other
emergency communication methods.

[0006] As the public has become more concerned about terrorism threats and
as communication systems have become more pervasive, a need has arisen
for a better emergency alert system. Existing technologies suffer from
many problems. A door-to-door communication of emergency information is
effective at targeting only persons actually located in the area deemed
to be at risk. Though door-to-door communication can be slow--the speed
of this method depends on the number of persons to be contacted and the
number of persons going door-to-door--it does provide the emergency
information to the relevant members of the public. This benefit, however,
comes at a very high price. Dedicating many law enforcement officers'
time to going door-to-door costs a great deal of money and creates
troublesome opportunity costs. If three-fourths of the local police force
is going door-to-door to warn persons about an emergency situation, those
officers cannot be patrolling for crimes or other problem situations.
Though it is one means of geographically disseminating an emergency
alert, door-to-door emergency communication is typically seen as a means
of last resort.

[0007] Sirens also have been used to alert persons to emergencies. A siren
system is perhaps most effective for a particular purpose. A chemical
plant, for example, might use sirens to warn persons near the plant of a
problem. Sirens have limited range and require regular upkeep. Sirens
typically do not provide situation-specific information. Persons inside
houses or in automobiles may not hear sirens even when they are
relatively near the siren. The one upside to sirens is their partial
geographic selectivity. Only persons within a certain radius of the siren
will get the alert. Even this advantage is limited, however, because in
most emergencies, the alert area will not be a perfect circle around a
particular siren. For these reasons, sirens remain a generally poor means
of alerting persons of an emergency.

[0008] The emergency broadcasting system (EBS) sends emergency alert
messages via live television and radio feeds. Though this system can
reach many persons quickly, its reach is both too broad and too narrow.
It is too broad because an entire television and radio broadcast region
will be covered when most emergency alerts are relevant to only some part
of that region. It is too narrow because even persons who are using their
televisions or stereos may not be receiving a live television or radio
transmission. Television viewers may be watching a move on DVD, watching
a pre-recorded television program, or viewing a satellite television
broadcast. Persons listening to stereos may be listening to satellite
radio or a music CD. None of these persons would receive the EBS alert.

[0009] Automated telephone calling systems are widely used for sending
emergency alert messages. This system is geographically specific, because
only those phones within a defined alert area will be called. There are,
however, several problems with these systems. They are expensive to
purchase and use. They do not reach nearly all the relevant public. Many
persons miss phone calls, and most of these systems call only landline
phones. That excludes all cell phones and VOIP phones. Because some
numbers must be called many times to reach a person, this process also
can be slow. Finally, when a telephone alert system is used, it can jam
the local telephone switching network, thus slowing the system and making
it very difficult for local persons to use their own phones.

[0010] Internet and e-mail also may be used to send emergency alert
information. This process can work quickly, but it has limited reach. It
is also not geographically limited.

[0011] Given the heightened concerns with emergency threats and the many
flaws in existing emergency alert systems, there exists a need for a
better system. Such a system should operate quickly and reach all persons
within the appropriate geographic area. It should be affordable to own
and operate. A cost-effective geographically targeted emergency alert
system is needed.

[0012] Some geographic targeting has been attempted in the area of
emergency alerts and other geographically targeted alerts. For example,
the widely-used cellular telephone system has been used to provide a
certain type of geographically targeted messaging. Cellular transmissions
are relatively short-range transmissions, and therefore many cell towers
are required throughout a geographic region to ensure continuous or
nearly continuous coverage. When a particular cell tower transmits a
message, that message will reach a limited geographic area.

[0013] If a cell tower transmits omni-directionally, the geographic area
reached by the transmission will be generally circular. Those cell phone
users with the right type of phone and who are located within the
broadcast range of the transmitting tower will receive the message. More
recently, technologies have been developed to allow cell towers to
transmit somewhat directionally, which produces a pie or wedge-shaped
coverage area.

[0014] Some cell systems also geographically target cell users based on
the residence area of the user. This approach fixes a particular location
or area for a user based on where the user lives or works. Other alert
systems have used a similar approach in the past. For example, some
tornado warning systems alert users based on a pre-determined, fixed
location for the user. All systems of this type suffer from one major
problem: they are used pre-determined, fixed location information for
users who are highly mobile. These systems are not dynamic. They cannot
account for movement of persons.

[0015] This reliance on fixed location data is a major drawback, because
the system will miss in two important ways. First, this type of system
will fail to alert visitors to the area of pending emergencies. A person
who is visiting an area when a tornado strikes would not receive a
warning with this type of system. Second, this type of alert system will
warn residents who are not within the alert area. A person who resides in
the warning area, but who is away at the time of the warning, will
receive the alert. These two problems greatly reduce the efficacy of
these types of warning systems.

[0016] The cellular tower location systems, using either omni-directional
or semi-directional transmissions provide one means of resolving these
problems. Only users who are physically within a geographic area will get
the alerts. To achieve this result, however, the systems must limit the
alert transmissions to rather crudely-defined geographic areas. Persons
currently outside the broadcast area, but who are traveling toward the
area, will receive no alert until within the broadcast area. Moreover, if
the actual emergency is more localized than the cellular transmission
area, this type of system will present the alert to persons outside the
danger area.

[0017] Though the cellular transmission systems provide improvement over
systems that rely on pre-determined, fixed user location data, the
improvement is limited. To appreciate why, one must understand the two
basic approaches to this problem. One approach is to consider the problem
from the perspective of the alert transmission. This approach can be
thought of as a "front-end" approach. The second approach is to consider
the problem from the perspective of the users, the persons or businesses
in a geographic area facing some risk. This approach can be thought of as
a "back-end" approach.

[0018] All the systems described above are front-end systems. None of
these systems rely on discrimination or decision at the user end. The
geographic targeting all comes from the transmission end. The cellular
tower systems are a good example. These systems are directional, but only
in a front-end sense. All discrimination (i.e., all decisions concerning
who gets an alert) is done at the front-end.

[0019] What is needed is a back-end solution to this problem, and one that
allows for dynamic location fixes for users. An example of a crude
back-end system would be one in which a message is broadcast to a large
audience, and the members of the audience are to make their own
determinations of whether the message is relevant to them. One simple
example might be a PA announcement at a large sporting event (e.g., a
football game) asking the person with the red convertible to move it from
in front of the ticket office. The message of broadcasts to a large
audience, and the members of that audience perform the discrimination
steps of the process. Presumably, only the person (or persons) who parked
a red convertible in front of the ticket office will respond to the
message.

[0020] This general concept (i.e. back-end discrimination) has not been
used in emergency alert systems. Perhaps this is because of a concern
that widespread dissemination of targeted alert messages could induce
hysteria. Or perhaps it is because those responsible for sending
emergency messages tend to work at front-end facilities and have only
considered the problem from that perspective. But whatever the reason for
this focus, there has been a lack of attention on back-end type alert
systems. There is, therefore, a real need for an improved, dynamic alert
system that relies on back-end discrimination. Such a system would allow
for relatively large area broadcasts of alert messages, potentially
advising persons who are outside the alert area but approaching it. Such
a system would also allow for precise area definition, or precise target
audience definition (e.g., only firefighters or EMTs). It would not rely,
however, on the individual user to perform the discrimination process (as
in the football game example), but would use a technological solution.
This new technology would perform the discrimination and then alert the
user, if and only if the user is within the relevant geographic area
and/or is within the relevant target audience.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention provides such an emergency alert system
(EAS). The invention provides an electronic device, computer-implemented
method, and computer program product for sending geographically-targeted
emergency alert messages to handheld electronic devices operated by end
users. Only those end users within the geographic area at risk are
notified of the emergency.

[0022] The invention employs an emergency alert message, which directs end
users to take some particular action like evacuating an identified
geographic area. The invention further employs a geographic area message,
which is based on a particular geographic area within which all persons
should receive the emergency alert message. The invention utilizes an
electronic device that receives both the emergency alert message and the
geographic area message. The electronic device determines whether it is
located within the geographic area of concern, and if so, presents the
emergency alert message to the end user.

[0023] The electronic device of the present invention performs the
discrimination step of the process. It is a back-end solution to the
problem of deciding who should receive an alert. And because it relies on
real-time location information, the electronic device provides dynamic
discrimination that is independent of the front-end transmission. In
other words, the front-end transmission need not be geographically
limited, though in most instances some limitation will be used. The
transmissions can cover an area far larger than the alert area. No
shaping of the alert transmissions, no selection of only certain
transmitters need be used. The electronic device performs the
discrimination by comparing its present location to geographic area
information in a received message. This approach to the geographic
targeting problem is fundamentally different from the front-end systems
briefly described above. And the present invention's back-end solution
provides numerous advantages, as will be made evident by the detailed
description of the invention below.

[0024] The invention includes an emergency operations center that selects
or creates an emergency alert message and identifies a geographic area of
concern; an emergency alert transmission center that transmits the
emergency alert message and a geographic area message that is
representative of the geographic area of concern; and, an electronic
device that receives the emergency alert message and geographic area
message and presents the emergency alert message if and only if the
electronic device is located within the geographic area of concern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of this
invention. However, it is to be understood that these embodiments are not
intended to be exhaustive, nor limiting of the invention. These
embodiments are but examples of some of the forms in which the invention
may be practiced.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of certain steps of a
preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of additional steps of a
preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another preferred embodiment of the
present invention.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a flow chart for one embodiment of an EAED.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a flow chart for a second embodiment of an EAED.

[0033]FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an electronic device in accordance
with aspects of the invention.

[0034]FIG. 9A is a front view of an embodiment of the electronic device
of FIG. 8 in accordance with aspects of the invention.

[0035]FIG. 9B is a front view of an embodiment of the electronic device
of FIG. 8 in accordance with aspects of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a front view of an embodiment of the electronic device
of FIG. 8 in accordance with aspects of the invention.

[0037]FIG. 11 is an exemplary emergency alert message created by an
emergency operator shown in FIG. 11.

[0040]FIG. 13A is an exemplary emergency alert message that may be
presented on the electronic device.

[0041]FIG. 13B is an exemplary emergency alert message that may be
presented on the handheld device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] Key elements of an EAS 10 are shown generally in FIG. 1. An
emergency alert transmission center 12 receives an emergency alert
message and geographic data from an emergency operations center (EOC) 22,
and transmits one or more signals 16 to an emergency system satellite 14.
The signals 16 correspond to a geographic area message, which is based on
a geographic area of concern, and an emergency alert message, which is
intended for persons located within the geographic area of concern. The
EOC 22 and the emergency alert transmission center 12 could be a single
facility or could be separate facilities. In a preferred embodiment, the
emergency alert transmission center 12 is a separate facility and serves
a number of EOCs 22 from different geographic areas. For example, a
single emergency alert transmission center 12 would be capable of serving
EOCs 22 from numerous states, cities, or other areas. The emergency alert
transmission center has one or more transmitters for sending the required
messages to emergency system satellites 14.

[0043] Key elements of an EAS 10 are shown generally in FIG. 1. An
emergency alert transmission center 12 receives an emergency alert
message and geographic data from an emergency operations center (EOC) 22,
and transmits one or more signals 16 to an emergency system satellite 14.
The signals 16 correspond to a geographic area message, which is based on
a geographic area of concern, and an emergency alert message, which is
intended for persons located within the geographic area of concern. The
EOC 22 and the emergency alert transmission center 12 could be a single
facility or could be separate facilities. In a preferred embodiment, the
emergency alert transmission center 12 is a separate facility and serves
a number of EOCs 22 from different geographic areas. For example, a
single emergency alert transmission center 12 would be capable of serving
EOCs 22 from numerous states, cities, or other areas. The emergency alert
transmission center has one or more transmitters for sending the required
messages to emergency system satellites 14.

[0044] Though the invention is shown using a satellite 14 for the
retransmission of the emergency alert message and geographic area message
to earth, other means of transmitting these messages may be used. The
cellular system provides the capability to transmit to nearly all of the
geographic area of the United States and many other developed countries
of the world. The emergency alert transmission center 12 may send
emergency alert messages and geographic area messages via cellular
transmissions, either as an alternative, or in addition to, satellite
transmissions. The use of satellite transmissions is preferred, but the
invention is not limited in this regard.

[0045] The Internet provides an example of an alternative transmission
means. The emergency alert and geographic area messages could be
transmitted via the Internet to devices capable of receiving both
Internet signals and GPS signals. In this embodiment, the alert device
would receive the emergency message and the geographic area message via
the Internet and then compare the geographic area message to the GPS
location data for the device in real time. If the GPS data indicates that
the device is located within the geographic area of concern, the
emergency message would be transmitted. This embodiment may be of
particular utility for persons with GPS enabled cellular phones that also
have the capability to receive wireless Internet signals. Such phones are
becoming increasingly common, making this embodiment a more viable
alternative to the system that uses satellite transmissions for all
messages and data.

[0046] The invention may be used with a single emergency alert
transmission center 12 that handles all the satellite transmission tasks
for several EOCs 22. There are existing EOCs located throughout the
world. Most regional governmental bodies (e.g., state, county or parish,
and city governments) operate such EOCs. Some of these EOCs have
satellite transmission capabilities and some do not. By routing all the
EAS messages through a dedicated emergency alert transmission center 12,
a substantial cost-savings may be passed on to the tax-paying public. In
addition, using a dedicated emergency alert transmission center 12 may
improve the efficacy of the system by ensuring that no conflicting
messages are sent by different EOCs 22. On the other hand, it may be more
desirable to have multiple EOCs with the capability to use the current
invention independently of each other, with each EOC communicating
directly with the appropriate satellites or other transmission system.
This embodiment of the invention would distribute the potential failure
points, thus reducing the risk of a single point of failure disabling the
system. Which embodiment ultimately is preferred may depend upon the
circumstances at the time the system is implemented.

[0047] The emergency system satellite 14 retransmits one or more signals
18 back to the earth, where these transmissions are received by emergency
alert enabled devices (EAEDs) 20. As described above, these signals 18
correspond to a geographic area message and an emergency alert message.
The EAEDs are not shown in FIG. 1, but will be discussed in more detail
below.

[0048] FIGS. 2 and 3 show steps of a preferred embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 2 is an overhead representation of an illustrative
geographic region. An emergency situation has occurred at a site 30, and
personnel at an EOC 22 (not shown in FIG. 2) have decided that an
emergency alert message should be communicated to all persons within a
particular geographic area of concern 32, which is shown in blocked off
form in FIG. 2. The geographic area of concern 32 could be circular,
semi-circular, rectangular, or take any other shape, including a freehand
drawing. Handles or other common tools may be used by operators to easily
expand or contract all or parts of a defined geographic area. Operators
at the EOC must make a determination of what geographic area 32 should be
notified of the emergency.

[0049] In the hypothetical illustration shown in FIG. 2, a fire has
occurred at a chemical facility, posing a risk of hazardous airborne
materials in an area nearby and downwind of the fire location. Operators
at the EOC are informed of the emergency and the risk. The operators then
determine an appropriate geographic area 32 within which all persons must
receive the alert message. The system thus creates and transmits
geographically targeted emergency alert messages. Only those persons
within the relevant geographic area are targeted for message
transmission. Using the present invention, an operator might use
geographic mapping software to define an alert area. This process could
use electronic street maps, satellite images, or combined satellite
images overlaid with street map information.

[0050] Though the invention may use electronic maps, the present invention
is not dependent upon maps or the mapping process. The invention may use
actual latitude and longitude coordinates to define the area of concern
and to establish the exact location of a particular user. This approach
provides accurate and reliable position information. Maps may be out
dated or otherwise inaccurate. In addition, persons may be in an
uninhabited area on a map (e.g. on a lake or in a forest), but the
present invention may still be able to reach those persons if they are
located within the area of concern for the emergency. Most prior art
systems rely, to some extent, on maps, either hard-copy or electronic,
and are, therefore, inferior to the present invention in this regard.

[0051] A computer or equivalent device may be used to generate a
geographic area message. This message would include an electronic
representation (e.g., in the form of an algorithm) of the geographic area
of concern for the particular emergency. The geographic area 32 shown in
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a geographic area of concern. A geographic
area message might include a series of mathematical expressions that
define the geographic area 32 in such a manner that a processor in an
EAED 20 may use the expressions to determine whether the actual
geographic location of the EAED 20 is within the area of concern.

[0052] In this example, an EOC operator defined an alert area south and
east of the fire. This is shown by the geographic area 32 in FIG. 2. Data
representative of this geographic area is prepared for transmission to
the emergency alert transmission center 12. The processing of the
geographic area data may be done in various ways that are known to
persons skilled in the art.

[0053] The invention may also include other enhancements or features at
the EOC stage. For example, the EOC part of the system could limit
operators' access to only those geographic regions within the
jurisdiction of the entity operating the EOC. Or the system could send a
message directly to other EOCs for geographic regions that are within the
area of concern, but outside the originating EOC's jurisdiction. These
features could be implemented in a seamless manner, and could occur
automatically when an operator defines an area of concern that extends
beyond the EOC's jurisdiction.

[0054] The maps used by EOC operators may provide certain detailed
information to aid the operators in quickly and accurately identifying an
area of concern. Topographical features, such as mountains, might be
relevant for this purpose. Prevailing wind patterns might also be
provided, as well as evacuation routes, population figures, and other
data that may impact the decision of how to define a geographic area of
concern. The system also may provide the operator with the physical size
of the defined area.

[0055] Another useful feature that may be implemented at the EOC stage of
the system is the use of moving areas of concern. A weather emergency
provides a good example of when such a feature would be desirable. When a
dangerous weather system is moving through an area, the defined
geographic area of concern should move with the weather system. The
current invention can readily accomplish this task by allowing an
operator to define a movement pattern for an area of concern based on a
prediction of how the area is likely to change over time. The operator
also would retain the ability to override predicted movements if the
actual conditions warrant (e.g., is the storm dissipates before reaching
certain areas).

[0056] Similarly, the mapping features of the system may provide an
operator with current and predicted weather conditions, so that such
conditions can be taken into account in the determination of the
geographic area of concern. Even if a moving area of concern is not used,
it is often helpful to know what the weather conditions are and will be
in the near future. A good example might be an accident causing the
release of a dangerous gas. The current wind conditions may be the most
important factor in defining the area of concern for such an emergency.

[0057] It is desirable to encode the geographic area data in such a manner
to limit the size of the message that must be transmitted to and from the
emergency system satellite 14. A larger data volume will require more
memory resources on the satellite 14 and in the EAEDs 20. In addition,
the larger the size of the transmission, the longer the transmission will
take. The time difference is not likely to result in a noticeable delay
in the response time of the system, but a longer satellite transmission
is more vulnerable to interference or interruption than a more brief
transmission. In addition, the devices ultimately receive the message may
not have a great deal of internal memory, and may tend to limit the size
of messages that may be used with the invention. For these reasons, it is
desirable to limit the size of the geographic area mes sage.

[0058] The geographic area data may be compressed to reduce the size of
the data transmitted. Such data compression may be done in any suitable
manner. Numerous types of digital data compression are known to persons
with skill in the art, and no particular method is known to be superior
to another for the purposes of this invention. For operational
consistency, it is highly preferred that a single data compression scheme
be adopted and used by all EAS operators.

[0059] The compressed geographic area message is transmitted to the
emergency system satellite 14 and is then retransmitted to EAEDs 20. In a
preferred embodiment, the EAEDs are capable of decompressing the
geographic area message. To avoid having to program the EAEDs 20 to
recognize and decompress multiple types of data compression, it is,
again, highly preferred that a single data compression scheme be adopted
and used by all EAS operators. Using a small number of dedicated
emergency alert transmission centers 12 would facilitate this objective,
because the data compression could be performed by the emergency alert
transmission center 12, rather than by the EOCs 22.

[0060] The emergency system satellite 14 may store the received emergency
alert message and geographic data message for repeated retransmission to
earth for some period of time. This may improve the effectiveness of the
system by increasing the chances that EAEDs 20 within the geographic area
of concern would actually receive the required messages. The satellite 14
also may be able to receive and transmit multiple messages
simultaneously.

[0061] In addition, the satellite 14 may alter the format of the messages
before retransmission, may modify or remove the data compression, or
perform other changes to the digital characteristics of the emergency
alert message and/or the geographic area message. These types of changes
are all within the scope of the present invention, and would still
constitute a retransmission of the messages by the satellite 14. As long
as the same message content (i.e., the same emergency alert message--for
example, to evacuate the area--and the same geographic area of concern)
is transmitted by the satellite 14 to earth, such transmission is
considered a retransmission of the same messages sent to the satellite 14
from the emergency alert transmission center 12.

[0062] In another embodiment of the preferred invention, the EOC 22
provides non-digital geographic area information to the emergency alert
transmission center 12, where the geographic area information is then
digitized and compressed. For example, the EOC could provide a verbal or
written description of the alert area to the emergency alert transmission
center 12. The operator at the emergency alert transmission center 12 may
then use mapping software to define the geographic alert area, and the
geographic area of concern would thus become an appropriate digital, and
compressed, geographic area message signal, ready for transmission to the
emergency system satellite 14.

[0063] The shape of the geographic area of concern may have a significant
impact on the size of the geographic area data packet. A circular shape
is easy to define digitally and produces a relatively small file size. A
convoluted shape with numerous rectangular segments, on the other hand,
can be quite difficult to define digitally, and can result in a very
large file size. In some instances, it may be preferable to transmit
multiple sets of geographic area and alert messages, with the entire
geographic area broken down into more easily defined areas. This type of
variation, and others intended to facilitate reliable operation of the
EAS are within the scope of the present invention.

[0064]FIG. 3 represents the next general step of a method of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention. This drawing illustrates the
emergency alert message selection process 34. In the example shown in
FIG. 3, the operator may select from certain standardized alert messages
(e.g., evacuate or shelter in place) or may create a custom message. In
addition, the present invention contemplates alert messages in text,
audio, graphics (e.g., photographs, symbols, or icons), video, or any
combination of these communicative methods. For example, an alert might
consist of a text message, an audio version of either the same message or
a more detailed message, and a video presentation showing a map of the
alert area and safe areas.

[0065] The emergency alert message may be generated using computer
software with a pull down menu 36, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Other means
of generating an emergency alert message may include using codes
representative of preselected messages and communicating the codes to an
emergency alert transmission center 12, where the actual electronic
message could be created. Similarly, an operator at the EOC 22 could call
in the emergency alert message to the emergency alert transmission center
12, or e-mail or other communication means could be used.

[0066] The alert messages may contain more than the alert. For example,
each alert message may include a unique serial number identifying the
message. This would allow the EOC, satellite, and EAED to identify and
distinguish between different messages. This capability could be used to
allow the system to retransmit the same alert many times without a user
receiving repetitious alerts. If the user's EAED recognizes, by the
serial number or other unique identifier, that the message already has
been presented, the EAED would not continue to present that same message
repeatedly. Validation or authentication information also may be included
with the alert message, to ensure the satellite only retransmits valid,
authentic alert messages to EAEDs. Error coding may also be included to
allow the satellite to detect when a corrupted message is received.

[0067] The system also may allow an EOC operation to send an alert message
immediately, at a later, predetermined time, or to resend the same
message periodically for some period of time (e.g., every five minutes
for one hour). The later practice may not be needed often with the
present invention because the EAEDs may store received alert devices for
a designated time so that such messages may be provided if the EAED moves
into the geographic area of concern. For example, if a user's EAED
receives an alert message and a geographic area message, but the user is
currently outside the geographic area of concern, the EAED would not
provide the alert to the user. But if the alert message has a tag
indicating it is to be saved for one hour, the user would be notified if
he entered the geographic area of concern within one hour of receipt of
the alert message. This capability reduces the need to retransmit the
same alert message repeatedly. This capability also ensures a user will
receive relevant alerts immediately, or nearly immediately, upon entering
an area of concern.

[0068] The system may be able to provide emergency alerts in multiple
languages. EAEDs may provide the operator the option of selecting a
language. It also may be desirable to provide EAEDs with the capacity to
communicate alerts to deaf and blind persons. Visual displays and speech
to text technologies could be used to ensure a deaf user receives
emergency alerts. Audible alerts could be selected by a blind user. Text
to speech technology could be used for this purpose. A vibration system
for EAED's carried by users could be used to inform the user that an
alert message has been received.

[0069] In another embodiment, the system may allow operators to save newly
created alert messages so that the messages can be quickly accessed in
the future. The use of speech to text technology could be used to provide
a printed copy of a draft alert message, which may provide for more
efficient review of the message before transmission. Conversely, text to
speech technology could be used at the EOC stage of the system to provide
verbal alert messages in addition to text messages.

[0070] The EOC part of the system may log all messages sent and save all
data (both the alert and geographic portions). Reports may be printed
showing what alerts were issued, where they were directed, and when they
were transmitted. These capabilities may enhance training and improvement
at EOCs.

[0071] The EOC or the alert transmission center, if it is a separate
facility, may perform authentication communications with the satellite
before an alert message is transmitted. By authenticating the link-up in
advance, the satellite may be able to more quickly receive and retransmit
the alert message. In general, an alert sent using the system and method
of the present invention should take no more than 120 seconds (i.e., two
minutes) to be received by all EAEDs within the geographic area of
concern. This is much faster than existing systems, and it provides the
ability to reach a far greater percentage of the public.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the geographic area message and the
emergency alert message are linked in some manner, if not combined into a
single packet. Both messages also may be compressed, so that all data
transmitted to the satellite is sent in compressed form. The two messages
are related to each other, and will be transmitted and retransmitted as a
pair of messages, or in some embodiments, as two parts of a single
composite message. These variations do not deviate from the invention. In
one preferred embodiment, these messages are linked by cross-reference
data that allows the two messages to be positively correlated to each
other by any device used in the EAS. For example, the transmitter, the
satellite, and the EAED all would be capable of recognizing a pair of
linked emergency alert and geographic area messages.

[0073] Turning now to FIG. 4, a flow chart 40 is presented. This chart
depicts steps of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
first step shown is the determination by emergency personnel that some
segment of the public should be notified of an emergency 42. Once this
determination has been made, an operator defines an appropriate emergency
alert area using computer software 44. An appropriate emergency alert
message then is selected or created by an operator 46. The geographic
alert area is converted into a mathematical algorithm for the geographic
area signal 48. The geographic data may be compressed as part of this
step or an additional data compression step--not shown in FIG. 4--may be
used.

[0074] This system and method can be used to alert all persons within a
geographic area of concern, or it may be used to send alerts to only
certain groups. The EAEDs may be programmed to recognize a unique
identifier associated with the user of the device or with a group to
which the user belongs. Alert messages transmitted using the present
invention could use such unique identifiers to single out persons or
groups for receipt of targeted messages. This use of a unique identifier
could be an alternative to, or in addition to, uses relating to message
authentication or corruption. The latter uses were discussed in a
preceding part of this description.

[0075] The configuration of the system and method described here involves
messages that are limited to a geographic area and a particular group of
persons within that geographic area. If, for example, there was a need to
alert all emergency responders within a certain region, the present
invention could do that. The appropriate alert message and geographic
area message would be created, and an additional unique identifier--an
identifier associated with all emergency responders, but with no other
group--would be linked to one or both of these messages. The unique
identifier would be transmitted with the messages, and would be received
by EAEDs. Only those EAEDs that meet the identity requirement would
transmit the alert.

[0076] To be more specific, consider a decision by a particular state to
activate its National Guard. An appropriate alert message could be
prepared--for example, "Report to your National Guard post for further
orders." The geographic area message in this instance may be limited to
the state calling up its National Guard, or might cover all of the United
States. The latter option may be desired, given that some Guard members
may be outside the state when the activation is ordered. Finally, a
unique identifier associated with members of the National Guard of the
activating state would be added to, or linked to, the alert message, the
geographic area message, or both.

[0077] The EAEDs used by the National Guard members would be programmed to
recognize the unique identifier associated with the National Guard, and
would present all messages received that match the area requirement and
the identity requirement. Because many persons may be members of various
groups, it is anticipated that many EAEDs will be programmed to recognize
multiple unique identifiers. This configuration is relatively simple to
implement, and the use of multiple unique identifiers in an EAED would
not burden the memory or processing capacity of the device.

[0078] To take another example, consider a wildfire in a Western state.
There are many trained, volunteer firefighters in the Western United
States who assist when there is a large wildfire. The present invention
could be used to reach all such firefighters within a certain distance of
the wildfire. In this instance, the geographic targeting and the identity
targeting of the present invention are combined. Moreover, the present
invention would allow for rapid dissemination of the message to all
members of the relevant group.

[0079] To implement this capability, it is necessary that members of
important groups ensure their EAEDs are properly programmed. This could
be done during the training, certification, or licensing of such persons.
There could be periodic tests of the system, where each group member is
instructed to respond to confirm receipt of the test message.

[0080] The capability to utilize identity-based, geographically-targeted
alert messages, as described above, provides a great deal of flexibility.
For example, in some circumstances, users, or groups of users, may be
allowed to opt in or opt out of this service. In other circumstances, the
service may be mandatory for certain users or groups of users. The
priority of the alert may also be used as a basis to allow users to opt
in, opt out, or opt for delayed message presentation. The latter option
might allow a user to review lower priority messages at a convenient
time, rather than having such messages interrupt other activities.

[0081] The combinations are essentially endless and can be tailored to fit
the needs of each particular group or user. The combination of real-time
geographically targeted alerts to certain groups may be advantageous in
numerous contexts. It might facilitate in the call-up of reserve military
forces or in an effort to reach all emergency responders, as in the prior
example. The technology might also have commercial applications such as
geographically and demographically targeted real-time marketing. This
capability might be used in political campaigns to reach all campaign
workers within a particular region. The commercial applications of the
technology, however, should be secondary to the emergency alert purpose
of the system.

[0082] A computer may be used to digitally encode the geographic area of
concern. As there is no current standard format for geographic mapping
algorithms, the invention is not limited to any particular format type
for the geographic data. Computer software may be used to create a
digitized representation of the geographic area of concern. This digital
file would be part of or perhaps all of the geographic area message
transmitted to the satellite and subsequently retransmitted to the EAEDs
20.

[0083] The alert and geographic data also may be transmitted to some EAEDs
via the Internet. This transmission method could be particularly suitable
to persons using GPS enabled smart phones, laptop computers, or netbook
computers, all of which often have access to wireless Internet service.
With an EAED embedding within such a product, the alert and geographic
messages could be received via the wireless Internet signal, and the
real-time GPS data used to determine whether the device is within the
area of concern.

[0084] Once the appropriate alert message signal and geographic area
message signal are prepared, these two sets of information are
transmitted to one or more satellites 50. The satellites then broadcast
the emergency message signal and geographic area message signal to a
selected region 52. These broadcasts will cover a much larger geographic
region than that selected by the emergency system operator in order to
ensure that the entire geographic area of concern is fully covered by the
broadcasts. For example, if the emergency alert area includes a part of
Houston, Tex., the satellite transmissions might reach users throughout
North America. Other satellites broadcasting to other parts of the world
would not be used in this example. It is anticipated, however, that use
of more than one satellite may be desirable to provide redundancy and
thus increase the effectiveness of the invention.

[0085] An EAED 20 then receives the satellite transmission of the alert
message signal and the geographic area message signal 54. The EAED 20 may
use an authentication process to ensure the incoming messages are
legitimate. Once these two signals are received and authenticated, an
EAED 20 will evaluate the geographic area message and compare the
geographic data contained in that message to the EAED's current
geographic location 56. The EAED 20 may use a variety of means for fixing
its geographic location, but a preferred means is use of the global
positioning system or GPS. This is discussed in more detail below. The
EAED 20 then performs a decision step. It asks whether the EAED 20 is
within the geographic area of concern 58.

[0086] If the EAED 20 is outside the area of concern, the process ends 60.
If, however, the EAED 20 is within the geographic area of concern, the
EAED presents the emergency alert message 62. The EAED 20 then saves the
message for repeat play upon request by a user 64. The message is
presented even if no user is there to receive the message. The means of
presentation will vary depending upon the interface used by the EAED
and/or its host device. If the alert is limited to certain persons (e.g.,
all police offices or all reserve military), then only those EAEDs 20
used by such persons would present the alert message.

[0087] In the most preferred embodiment, the EAED 20 is embedded within a
host device. If the EAED 20 is required to deliver an alert message 62,
the host device may be used to present the message to the user. In the
event the host device is in use for some other purpose, the EAED 20 would
override the current operation of the host device so that the emergency
alert message is delivered. In the event the host device is turned off
when the EAED 20 determines that an alert message is to be delivered 62,
the EAED 20 would turn on the host device and deliver the message. The
host device may be turned back off again after the alert message has been
delivered.

[0088] Whether the alert message is delivered 62 or not delivered 60, the
EAED 20 returns to ready mode 66 following execution of the preceding
steps. In fact, the EAED 20 remains ready to receive messages at all
times, and in a preferred embodiment, has a buffer or queue to hold
incoming messages while other messages are being processed. This is
potentially important because it is possible that a particular EAED 20
could receive numerous messages within a very short period of time. The
present invention allows for this, and ensures that any alert message
that needs to be delivered to a user will be delivered. In practice, an
EAED 20 would take just a few seconds to process a number of alert
message/geographic message pairs.

[0089] The EAED 20 should be capable of receiving alerts when the device
is indoors, in a congested city area with numerous high-rise buildings
(i.e., a so-called "urban canyon"), and during all types of weather.
Preferably, the EAED will be able to obtain both GPS and alert messages
in all these settings, but in the event a real-time GPS signal is not
available, it is important that the EAED still be able to receive all
alert messages. When this possible, though not desirable, situation
occurs, the EAED would use the last reliable GPS location data to
determine whether the device is within the geographic area of concern.

[0090] The hardware or firmware used by the EAED 20 should be upgradable.
This capability allows a user to update the firmware to the most recent
version and thus enhances the service provided. This capability also
extends the useful life cycle of each EAED.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, an EAED will use a two-step process to
determine whether the device is within the geographic area of concern.
Step one is a cursory check--a check that can be performed very quickly
and with minimal processor use--to determine if the device is located
within a large region that includes the geographic area of concern. This
cursory check is a crude check using location parameters less precise
than those needed for an accurate location fix. But this check may be
done quite simply and quickly. By including this step, a large number of
emergency alert enabled devices will be quickly excluded from the area of
concern, thus preventing those devices from performing needless
processing of the more specific location data.

[0092] If step one indicates the device is at least near the area of
concern, step two would then be an accurate check of the real-time GPS
location to determine whether the device is actually within the area of
concern. This approach allows the device to quickly and efficiently weed
out messages intended for remote areas.

[0093] An example of this two-step process helps illustrate the concept.
Consider a geographic area of concern that includes three counties in
Kansas, a state in the central United States. Step one of the process
described above might determine whether the emergency alert enabled
device is located within a range of latitude and longitude coordinates
that encompass the entire central United States. Alternatively, step one
could compare the first digits of the latitude and longitude of the
emergency alert enabled device's most recent GPS fix to the coordinates
of the geographic area of concern. These crude, initial checks could be
used to screen out emergency alert enabled devices that are far away from
the geographic area of concern.

[0094] A variety of different alerts types may be used. For example,
alerts could be prioritized, with the highest level corresponding to
life-threatening situations; level two could be reserved for severe
property damage situations; level three for traffic alerts; level four
for amber/silver alerts, weather alerts that are not within
higher-priority categories, and other less severe situations.
Alternatively, the alerts could be linked to the color-coded alert system
developed by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Alert
categories and priorities can be set by the relevant operational
authority.

[0095] The use of real-time GPS information, combined with the ability to
store previously received alert and geographic area messages provides
another important capability that is not available using other
technologies. The current invention can provide a relevant alert to a
user who was outside the alert area when the alert message was
transmitted, but who enters the alert area while the alert remains
active. When the EAED recognizes that it is moving, it may compare its
GPS location over time to all geographic areas of concern for active
alerts. By doing so, the EAED would recognize when a user has moved into
a geographic area of concern, and would then provide the relevant alert
message.

[0096] The converse is also possible. That is, when a person who is moving
leaves the geographic area of concern, the EAED would recognize this fact
and would stop triggering the alert message for that area of concern.
This capability greatly enhances the utility of the present invention. It
reduces over inclusive emergency message presentations and avoids under
inclusive presentations, too. The invention has the ability to notify all
persons within the geographic area of concern on a dynamic basis.

[0097] To take this capability one step farther, an EAED could be
programmed to inform a moving user that he or she is approaching an alert
area before the area has been entered. A more stem warning could be used
as the person gets closer to the alert area. On the other hand, when a
person is leaving an alert area, the EAED could be programmed to inform
the user that he or she has just exited the alert area and is out of
danger. This feature could be used when the alert area is moving, when
the EAED (i.e., the user) is moving, or both.

[0098] For example, consider a hurricane evacuation order based on the
predicted path of a storm. As the storm moves, the alert area may change.
As a person begins evacuating the area, that person's EAED would also
move. The present invention can provide updated information to the user
based on changes to his or her location and changes to the storm warning
area. Not only could this allow users to realize when they have left the
evacuation region, but it could also inform persons who might be
evacuating in the wrong direction. This could occur if a user is
traveling the same direction the storm has shifted towards. The present
invention could be used to inform this user that the storm warning area
has shifted in the same, or a similar, direction to the direction the
user is currently traveling. This type of alert would warn such a user to
take a different evacuation route. These types of dynamic capabilities of
the present invention are not possible with other technologies.

[0099] The dynamic capacity of the present invention also could be used to
determine when users are traveling and by what means. If the EAED is
moving at high speeds (e.g., greater than 150 miles per hour), the device
may be able to confirm that the user is flying. If the EAED is located on
a road and is moving, the user can be assumed to be in a motor vehicle.
This additional information could be used to determine whether certain
alerts should be provided to such users.

[0100] All clear alert messages may be used, too. Such messages would be
transmitted to all persons within the prior area of concern to inform
them that the threat has passed. Similarly, if the threat level changes
(either up or down) such changes may be readily and efficiently
transmitted to all persons within the relevant geographic area. The
invention could be configured so that all clear messages are only
presented to users who received the prior alert message.

[0101] When an EAED 20 is embedded within a cell phone, an incoming alert
may be treated as an incoming call, thus triggering call-waiting and
caller-identification features available on many such phones.
Alternatively, if the user is making or participating in a call at the
time an alert is received, the invention could be configured to provide
some type of warning without blocking or overriding the user's phone
call. This capability could be used only if the incoming alert is of high
priority, where, for example, the EAED could present a momentary audible
warning signal to the user, a display that a high priority emergency
alert message has been received, or any other means of contemporaneously
notifying the user of the fact that a high priority alert has been
received without overriding the user's call. On phones with the
capability, an incoming alert may be displayed as a text message without
interrupting a call in progress.

[0102] All EAEDs would be able to receive messages, even when the host
device is turned off. This ensures that no alerts are missed. If a
relevant alert is received when the host is off, the host is switched on
and the alert message is presented to the user. Or if the host device was
in a different mode (e.g., a car stereo playing a CD or a cell phone
playing an mp3 music file), the host is changed to the alert display mode
and the alert is presented. After the alert message has been presented,
the host device could be switched back off or returned to its prior
operating mode. This capability could be limited to only high-priority
alert messages, or to other types of messages selected by the user (e.g.,
traffic alerts). Similarly, certain lower-priority alerts might be
presented only during hours the user is expected to be awake. Most users
would not want to be awaken at 3:00 am to be informed that there has been
an accident on a nearby freeway, unless, of course, the accident caused
the release of a dangerous chemical, started a large fire, or caused
other more serious results.

[0103] Uniform alert tones may be used to ensure users become familiar
with the warning signals. A few different and clearly distinct tones
could be used to identify different categories of alerts. EAEDs should be
required to participate in periodic system tests. This operation is
important to ensuring the proper operation of the EAED and the overall
system.

[0104] Though the present invention is expected to have it highest utility
as an emergency alert system, it also has other commercial applications.
Commercial data (of small size) could be transmitted to users within
certain areas. If the users' EAEDs have been preset with unique
identifying codes, commercial messages could be targeted to users of
certain types within certain areas. This capability could be used for
highly targeted advertising, though this use should not be allowed to
reduce the effectiveness of the system as an emergency alert system.

[0105] The present invention also could be used to allow users to
subscribe to certain news or information feeds or services. Breaking
news, stock market information, sports results and other such information
could be provided using the present invention. The present invention
could disable such services when the device is moving within a certain
speed range (e.g., the range of speeds typically used in motor vehicles).

[0106] Clubs, groups, and employers could use the present invention to
reach all persons within certain areas. For example, a large employer
could advise all workers within a certain region that they should not
report to work because of bad weather conditions.

[0107] Schools could use this feature to advise parents and students of
school closure days. Even political candidates and campaigns could use
the present invention to target voters within certain areas with messages
tailored to such areas. Or campaign workers within a particular area
could be advised of the need to work on a certain project.

[0108] A block diagram of an EAED 20 is shown in FIG. 5. The blocks
represent a geographic position module 72, a satellite message receiver
74, an emergency alert message interface 76, and a data processor 78. The
geographic position module 72 in a preferred embodiment is a
highly-sensitive GPS receiver. Because the EAED 20 must remain on at all
times and must be capable of fixing geographic position even when a user
is indoors or under heavy tree cover, there is a need for a GPS receiver
with very high sensitivity and very low power consumption.

[0109] GPS receivers satisfying these requirements may be obtained from a
variety of sources. One model that has worked well is made by u-blox, a
German company specializing in GPS technology. u-blox makes a variety of
GPS receivers, and has developed extraordinarily sensitive receivers. GPS
satellites must transmit continuously, and for this reason, these
satellites transmit at very low power levels. This has caused reception
problems with GPS receivers in the past. Many GPS units lose their signal
when the unit is inside a vehicle, under dense tree cover, or indoors. In
addition, many GPS units are slow to acquire a position. It is highly
desirable to avoid such shortcomings in the present invention.

[0110] The u-blox GPS receivers combine highly sensitive antennas with
sophisticated data processing. Some u-blox receivers include a dead
reckoning feature that helps estimate current position of a unit even if
GPS satellite data is momentarily lost. In addition, the u-blox GPS
receivers are ultra-low power consumption devices, using less than 50 m W
of power. The u-blox 5 is the latest generation u-blox GPS chipset, and
it is expected that this chipset would work well with the present
invention. u-blox claims that this chipset acquires a GPS fix in less
than one second. Quick and accurate fix acquisition is highly desirable
for the present invention.

[0111] If a GPS fix may be reliably obtained very quickly, it is possible
for the geographic position module 72 to power down during regular
operation of the EAED 20. The geographic position module 72 could obtain
a GPS fix on a periodic basis, and could be configured to obtain a fix
when a geographic area message and an emergency alert message are
received from a satellite. Such operation may reduce the power
consumption of the geographic position module 72, and thus reduce the
overall power demands of the EAED 20.

[0112] The invention will work with any low-power, high sensitivity GPS
receiver. The u-blox receivers are a currently preferred embodiment, but
there is a great deal of competition within the GPS receiver market. In
addition, a new generation of improved GPS satellites will be put into
operation in the future. These new satellites will have higher
transmission levels than the existing GPS satellites. When these new
satellites become available, the sensitivity concern may be less
important than it is today. The power consumption concern, however, may
remain important, particularly if the EAED 20 is configured to remain
powered up at all times.

[0113] The satellite message receiver 74 includes components necessary to
receive the alert message and geographic area message from the emergency
system satellite 14. Existing technologies used in satellite radio,
satellite pagers, or satellite cell phones could be used for this
purpose. It is desirable for the satellite receiver to be highly
sensitive and consume minimal power. The satellite message receiver 74
may operate in a sleep mode until a signal is received, thus conserving
power.

[0114] The satellite message receiver 74 must have sufficient sensitivity
to reliably receive satellite signals even when indoors, inside a car, or
in other situations where there is no clear line-of-sight to the
transmitting satellite. This concern is less limiting than the GPS
sensitivity issue discussed above because the satellites used by the EAS
are likely to transmit substantially more powerful signals than do
existing GPS satellites. Satellite pagers and satellite phones have good
performance even when the receivers are indoors, and these technologies,
therefore, are preferred for the present invention. Satellite radio, in
its current state of development, tends to suffer from frequent signal
loss, and for that reason, is not currently preferred for this invention.
As with GPS receiver technology, it is expected that competition will
lead to improvements in the satellite radio receiver technology, and this
type of technology may well be a good match for the present invention in
the future.

[0115] The geographic position module 72 and the satellite message
receiver 74 both require a satellite antenna in the most preferred
embodiment. Separate antennas could be used, or a single, dual-use
antenna could be used. In either case, the antennas selected should have
the highest possible sensitivity. In some applications, the host device
(i.e., the device in which the EAED 20 is embedded) may have an existing
antenna that would provide superior performance and that could be shared
by the EAED 20.

[0116] The data processor 78 performs the needed analysis of the incoming
geographic data received via the satellite message receiver 74 and the
current geographic location information received via the geographic
position module 72. An evaluation is performed to determine whether the
current geographic position of the EAED 20 is within the geographic area
of concern. If so, the data processor 78 then sends the emergency alert
message to the emergency alert message interface 76. This interface 76
either directly or indirectly presents the emergency message to a user.
The data processor 78 also includes sufficient memory to store prior
alert messages for replay at a later time. Alternatively, such memory
could be provided in a separate module within the EAED 20.

[0117] The EAED 20 could be a stand-alone unit or could be embedded within
a host device. The latter arrangement is preferred. A wide variety of
host devices are contemplated for the present invention. Automobiles,
cellular phones, land-line telephones, computers, televisions, radios,
mp3 players, and almost any existing or later-developed device that
provides text, audio, or video content to an end user. If, however, the
EAED 20 is a stand alone unit, the device must also include some means
for communicating directly with a user. This could be a visual display
screen (e.g., a small LCD display) or an audio system.

[0118] To more fully appreciate the operation of the present invention,
consider its use in an automobile. The EAED 20 could be incorporated into
the design of the automobile in a seamless manner. With a small
footprint, low power consumption, and the relatively large source of
power via the automobile's large starter battery, the EAED 20 would raise
minimal design challenges for an automobile designer. The EAED 20, for
example, could be incorporated into the vehicle's stereo system or into a
navigation system, if the vehicle was so equipped. The EAED 20 might use
an existing antenna on the vehicle to improve satellite reception. The
EAED 20 could interface with the audio system in the vehicle to present
audio alert messages or with the warning light and/or alarm system to
warn the user of the emergency. Many vehicles today have visual displays
capable of presenting text messages, and such a capability could be used
by the EAED 20 to communicate emergency messages. If a relevant emergency
message is received while the vehicle is not in use, the EAED 20 could
store the message, and present it to the user the next time the vehicle
is used.

[0119] If an EAED 20 is embedding into a cellular phone, the invention
could interface with the phone to provide audio, text, and potentially
video emergency message content. A unique emergency alarm ring-tone could
be used to ensure the user recognizes the urgency of the event. If the
phone is in use, the EAED 20 could override the existing use and convey
the emergency alert to the user.

[0120] Embedding an EAED 20 into a television, radio, mp3 player, or other
device with some form of audio and/or visual interface is also expected.
When an EAED 20 embedded within such a device receives a relevant
message, it could turn the device on and convey the alert message. The
device could then be turned off again. The message could be stored until
a user later turns on the device, at which point the alert message could
be provided again.

[0121] When the EAED 20 is embedded in a host device that is capable of
receiving signals outside the normal transmission bands, the system of
the present invention could make use of such bands, and thus reduce
interference from other signals. This capability exists for radio
transmissions by using sub channels. These sub channels are broadcast
spectrum that is current used to send song or other data, but not audio
signals. Similarly, television sub channels exist for sending close
captioning and other data. These sub channels could be used by the
present invention to transmit alert and geographic messages to emergency
alert enabled devices embedded in these types of host devices.

[0122] The EAED 20 and its host device could be configured to operate
regardless of the mode of operation in use at the time. For example, if
an EAED 20 is embedded in a television and a movie is being watched via
an alternative input, the EAED 20 would still prompt the television to
provide the alert message. This capability shows one important advantage
the present invention offers over the existing emergency broadcast system
(EBS). The EBS will reach only those persons watching a regular
television broadcast. If, for example, a user's television is on a Video
One input receiving a feed from a DVD player, the EBS cannot reach that
user. The EAED 20 of the present invention, however, would reach that
user.

[0123] The present invention uses satellite transmissions in a preferred
embodiment, but is not limited to such use. Other transmission means are
also expected, including Internet, cellular, land-line phones, and so
forth. Further, the messages of the present invention may be broken into
parts for transmission and then reassembled by the emergency alert
enabled device. Unique identifiers for each part would be assigned to
ensure the emergency alert enabled device can proper reassemble and
authenticate the full messages before evaluating the messages.

[0124] The different parts of a message may be broadcasts via different
means. For example, a message may be broken into three parts. All three
parts may be transmitted via satellite, Internet, and cellular systems.
The emergency alert enabled device may receive one part of the message
from a satellite, one part via the Internet, and one part through a
cellular transmission, which could be any form of cellular transmission
(i.e., voice, text, or data). The emergency alert enabled device can
receive the message parts through different transmission means and
properly reassemble and authenticate the messages.

[0125] The emergency alert enabled device is further capable of ensuring
the transmissions via multiple means does not result in unwarranted
repetition of the alert to the user. For example, a certain alert message
might be received by the emergency alert enabled device via satellite and
cellular transmission. The emergency alert enabled device would recognize
that it is the same alert, using unique identifier data provided with the
message, and process the alert as a single message. The message would be
presented to the user according to the 5 standard presentation protocol
of the emergency alert enabled device's firmware, and no repetition due
to the multiple transmission means would result. The alert may be
presented more than once, but that would occur only if such repetition
was warranted, as determined by the emergency alert enabled device's
firmware. This process is described more below.

[0126] Though the present invention relies primarily on GPS location data,
the EAEDs may also be used as an alternative location fixing means. For
example, various location fixing processes have been developed using
cellular transmission information. If a particular cell phone receives
and responds to transmissions from multiple cell towers, a triangulation
process may be used to obtain a location fix on the cell phone. The
accuracy of such fixes varies a great deal, but it does provide another
means of fixing the location of an EAED used in a cell phone.

[0127] At least two modified GPS systems have been developed for cell
phone users. These systems typically combine a number of features to
provide real-time GPS fixes to cell phones. The cell tower locations are
precisely fixed, giving a particular cell phone a reference point for the
GPS fix process. The GPS satellite data can be stored and transmitted
through the cellular system, rather than directly from the GPS
satellites, thus reducing the time needed to obtain an accurate fix.

[0128] One such system is called assisted GPS (aGPS). It is used on some
cell phones, and uses some of the features identified above. A more
recent development is the enhanced GPS (eGPS) system. This system also
uses a combination of the cellular system and GPS system to provide
location fixes to cell phone users. Both systems help reduce the time to
first fix and allow for location fixes in areas where GPS signals may
otherwise be too weak. The current invention may use aGPS, eGPS, or any
other later-developed improvement to the basic GPS system in order to
provide more accurate and more timely location information to an EAED.
The invention is not limited to only use of the traditional, satellite
only, GPS system to fix the position of an EAED.

[0129] Another example of an enhancement to the GPS system is the
satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). This enhancement uses a
network of ground-based reference stations to measure small variations in
the GPS satellites' signals. These signals can vary slightly due to
atmospheric conditions. The SBAS approach uses data from the ground-based
reference stations to correct for atmospheric variations in the GPS
signals. This enhancement was developed for use in aviation, where
precise location and elevation data was needed.

[0130] The best known of the SBAS solutions is the Wide Area Augmentation
System (WAAS), which is used in North America. WAAS uses ground stations
located throughout North America and provides improved GPS performance to
WAAS-enabled GPS devices within that area. Ocean areas surrounding North
America are also covered, and as a result the WAAS capability has become
popular with mariners and fisherman, too.

[0131] Similar systems have been developed in other regions. In Europe,
there is the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS),
and Japan uses the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS).
Other similar systems are used in other regions. The present invention
may use any of the SBAS systems within the EAED to improve the location
accuracy of GPS fixes. These systems would also enhance elevation data
obtained by an EAED.

[0132] The use of elevation data by an EAED may allow the device to
determine, for example, when a user is flying (i.e., when speed and
elevation are high), which may be relevant in different ways. The EAED
may switch to an airplane mode when such conditions are detected, and
thus prevent presentation of most alert messages. Certain alerts,
however, might still be presented. The EAED firmware would be programmed
to provide the type of discrimination desired. Messages that should not
be transmitted during flight could be coded in a certain manner, while
emergency alerts that should be transmitted during flight might be coded
differently. An example of a message that might be presented even during
a flight would be a message that the plane is approaching a dangerous
area or some other type of message directly relevant to persons flying.
It is anticipated, that under current rules, few, if any, alert messages
would be presented to users during flight. Such rules may change,
however, and the present invention may be used in any manner appropriate
to the existing rules and conditions.

[0133] GPS is widely used by the military, and this fact has led to use of
GPS jamming technologies. Various anti-jamming solutions have been
developed. Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin, and uBlox are but a few of
the commercial providers of anti-jamming GPS technologies. Technology is
expected to continue to develop in this area. The present invention may
incorporate anti-jamming technology, of any sort, into the EAED.

[0134] The EAED may be constructed in a number of ways, and the present
invention is not limited in this regard. In one preferred embodiment, all
four of the blocks represented in FIG. 5 could be incorporated into a
single chip. In another embodiment, the GPS capability may be present in
the host device (e.g., a GPS-enabled cell phone of a dedicated GPS
device), and the EAED would not need to provide duplicate GPS capability.
In that situation, the EAED may need an interface to the existing GPS
unit within the host device.

[0135] In yet another embodiment, the EAED might use three physical
components: an antenna, a single chip GPS receiver, and a single chip
EAED receiver. The two receiver chips might be separated for different
reasons, including, for example, the possible presence of a GPS chip
within the host device, as mentioned above. Both the GPS receiver and the
EAED receiver would have certain common, general features. Both would
have an RF signal processor to handle the incoming signals from the
antenna. Both would have some internal memory, and both would have a
processor. In a general sense, the single GPS chip mentioned here would
represent the geographic position module 72, and the single EAED chip
would include the satellite message receiver 74, the emergency alert
message interface 76. Both chips could have a data processor, but the
data processor 78, as shown in FIG. 5 would be within the EAED chip.

[0136] To better appreciate the operation of the EAED, flowcharts are
provided in FIGS. 6 and 7. These flowcharts represent two basic modes of
operation for the EAED. The firmware on the EAED would be constructed and
programmed to perform the functions identified in the flow charts. FIG. 6
shows how the EAED would function with a "smart" host device, that is, a
host device that is capable of communicating back with the EAED. In a
smart host, the host device can instruct the EAED that an alert message
has been received by the user. For example, a user with a cell phone may
click a "Yes" button on the phone to confirm receipt of an alert message.
The cell phone (i.e., the host device) would then confirm receipt to the
EAED. In a "dumb" host, the ability to transmit from the host to the EAED
is absent. This fact requires different operations by the EAED, as shown
in FIG. 7.

[0137] Turning to FIG. 6, the flowchart begins with the satellite
receiver. The alert data received step determines whether a full alert
message has been received. This may involve comparing authentication data
to stored data and it may also involve reconstructing an alert message
sent in parts. An alert message could be sent in multiple parts via
different transmission paths. For example, an alert might be broken into
four parts, with one part received via satellite, one by cellular
transmission, one by the Internet, and one by Wi-Fi or some other means.
But whatever the process for getting the message parts to the EAED, the
alert data received block represents the processing and reassembly of the
message. If all parts of a message are received and reassembled into
proper order, then this step leads to the retrieve current GPS info from
GPS chip block. At this stage, the EAED checks for a current GPS location
fix. Other means of obtaining a location fix may be used, and the GPS
reference here is intended to represent a preferred embodiment and not a
limitation on the scope of the invention. If no current location fix data
is available, the EAED will use the last known GPS location data. In
either event, the GPS data (or other location data) will be sent on to
the comparison block At that stage, the EAED uses the geographic area
component of the alert message and the location data to determine whether
the EAED is close to the geographic area of concern. If not, the process
stops and the message is not stored. In an alternate embodiment, the
message could be stored for some period of time and rechecked to
determine if the user is moving toward the alert area. This capability is
not illustrated in FIG. 6, but is within the scope of the invention.

[0138] If the EAED determines that it is close to the geographic area of
concern, a second check is made to determine if the EAED is precisely
within the alert area. If not, the alert info and message are stored
until alert is cleared. If this happens, the EAED will check to see if it
is moving, and if so, whether it is moving toward the alert area. If the
EAED is moving toward the alert area, a message to that effect is
presented to the user. If the EAED is stationary or moving away from the
alert area, the alert is saved and the EAED's position is checked
periodically for movement toward the alert area. This aspect of the
EAED's operations can be altered to fit the needs or desires of a user.
For example, some users may want to be alerted if they are within a
certain distance of an alert area, even if they are not moving or are
moving away from the area. These types of choices may be programmed into
the EAED firmware to suit a particular user's preferences. FIG. 6 shows
only a basic version of a preferred embodiment.

[0139] Returning to the determination of whether the EAED is within the
alert area, if the answer to that query is yes, then the alert
information is stored. The alert is also presented to the user at this
time. The EAED then looks for confirmation from the host device that the
user has received the alert message (i.e., either the primary alert or a
warning that the user is moving toward the alert or any other message
presented). If the host device confirms that the user has received the
message, then the process ends. If no confirmation is received, the EAED
will periodically represent the message to the user via the host device.
If no confirmation is ever received, this process will continue as long
as the alert is in effect.

[0140] The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is based on a smart host device that
is in a proper mode for message receipt and presentation. A cell phone is
a good example of such a device, when the cell phone is on. The phone may
be in standby mode, but is still capable of presenting an alert message
to a user, via text, voice, video, or some combination. If, however, the
smart device is off, the present invention will still work. The EAED may
have the capability to turn on the smart device to present a message. The
EAED is always on, a characteristic explained more in the following
description of an EAED designed for use in a dumb host device.

[0141] A similar process is used for a dumb host device, but the latter
parts of the process are different because the host device is not capable
of confirming receipt of the message. The satellite receiver functions to
receive the alert message, with both the geographic message and alert
message components. The EAED checks to see that a complete and authentic
alert message has been received. It then checks the GPS data (or other
location data). If no current location data is available, the last known
data is used. The first comparison is then done to determine if the EAED
is close to the alert area. If it is, a second geographic comparison is
done to see if the EAED is within the alert area. If not (i.e., the EAED
is close to the alert area, but not within it), the alert is saved and
the GPS data is checked for movement toward the alert area. If such
movement is detected, an appropriate message is presented to the user. If
the EAED is found to be within the alert area, the alert message is
saved.

[0142] At this point, the EAED checks to see if the host device is on. If
not, the EAED turns on the host device (e.g., a television or car
stereo). The EAED then checks to see if the host device is in the proper
mode for presentation of an alert message. For example, if a car stereo
is playing a CD, the alert message could not be presented. If the host is
not in the proper mode, the EAED sets the device to the proper mode and
then confirms that setting. The EAED then presents the alert message via
the host device. The alert is presented periodically for a preset number
of times or until the alert has cleared.

[0143] Once the alert presentations are completed, the EAED checks to see
if it had to turn on the host device. If so, the EAED turns off the host
device, thus restoring it to its former condition. The EAED then checks
to see if it had to change the mode of an operating host device. If so,
the EAED returns the host device to the prior operating mode. Once these
restorative steps are complete, the process ends. These steps may also be
used with the smart host to address hosts that may be turned off or in a
mode that would not allow effective alert message presentation to a user.

[0144] In one preferred embodiment of the EAED, the GPS function is on a
single chip, the satellite receiver function is on another chip, and the
primary EAED firmware is on a third chip. These chips could be fabricated
as part of a single package, but are described as separate chips to
emphasize their distinct operations. The GPS chip may power on
periodically or remain always on, depending on the power supply of the
host device. The conserve power consumption, the GPS chip may operate
only periodically. The satellite receiver chip is a low-power chip that
is always on. It receives messages on the specific satellite frequency
used by the EAS. The receiver chip checks message parts and reassembles
messages sent in pieces. When a full, authentic message has been
received, the satellite receiver sends this message to the firmware chip.
This triggers the firmware chip to power on. By keeping the firmware chip
dormant until a full, authentic message has been received, the power
consumption is reduced. The firmware chip then performs most of the steps
identified in either FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, as described above.

[0145] The EAED may use GPS data to determine the speed and elevation of a
moving host device. In addition, the EAED may include an accelerometer,
gyroscope, or other means to determine and monitor motion. These devices
may be used by the EAED to determine if a crash has occurred, for
example, when movement above a certain speed (e.g., 20 mph) has suddenly
stopped or by detecting a stopping g force in excess of some preset
limit. Whatever means is used, if an EAED within a smart device detects a
crash, the EAED may then send crash and location information to emergency
service providers; the police; contacts stored by the host device, or
third-party monitoring services. This information may be sent by cellular
transmission (3G, 4G, SMS, MMS, or other later-developed means), the
Internet, Wi-Fi, or any other means available to the host device.

[0146] The accelerometer, gyroscope, or other motion detection means also
could be used for personal safety reasons. It could be used, for example,
to identify when a user has fallen. This feature could be used with
at-risk users to automatically contact appropriate persons when the user
has fallen. The capabilities might also allow the EAED to disable certain
features when the host device is moving at a speed indicative of car
travel.

[0147] The EAED may also interact with a smart host in other ways to
enable remote monitoring of a user's actions. The EAED may receive a
signal, via any means (e.g., cellular, Internet, satellite, etc.), to
initiate monitoring of the location and movements of the device. The EAED
may also be instructed to photograph or video using the host device's
capabilities. This type of monitoring might be used by parents or by law
enforcement under appropriate circumstances. For example, this capability
by the EAED might allow parents to monitor their children's driving
practices.

[0148] The EAED's integrated back-end use of location date could be used
for commercially targeted messages, too. This practice could be used to
notify users who fit a certain demographic profile when they are within a
certain distance of a store or other facility. For example, a person
within the target demographic group for a store having a sale might use
this technology to notify such persons who are within a selected distance
of the store. Though geographically-targeted advertising has been done,
it has relied primarily on front-end message discrimination. The present
invention takes advantage of real-time location information and the
ability to perform the discrimination steps within the host device. This
provides more accurate and thus, more finely-targeted messaging. Such
messaging could be used for emergencies (as is the primary purpose of
developing the system), civil announcements (e.g., a parents' meeting at
a local school), or commercial messaging, as described in this paragraph.
These and other uses of the system are possible because of the EAED's
ability to receive messages with geographic or other targeting
information, then determine, at the host device level, whether those
requirements are met.

[0149] The foregoing examples of applications of the present invention are
by no means exhaustive. It is expected that the EAED 20 of the present
invention will be embedded in a wide variety of electronic products. The
particular manner in which the EAED 20 is integrated with such products
is left to the manufacturers and designs of the products. The present
invention provides the EAED technology and an EAS method of operation.
The manner in which EAEDs 20 are integrated into host systems is expected
to vary a great deal.

[0150] Although the present invention may use a standalone an EAED or EAED
embedded in a host device in some embodiments, it is not limited to such
use. Other devices can also be used including an electronic device 110
configured for alerting a user of an emergency. FIG. 8 depicts a block
diagram of the electronic device 110 that can be used with aspects of the
present invention. It should be appreciated that embodiments of the
electronic device 110 may include more or fewer elements than those shown
in FIG. 8. The electronic device 110 may be, among other things, a
handheld device, computer, smart television, wearable device such as a
watch or glasses, and so forth. Examples of the electronic device 110
include, but are not limited to, an iPhone®, iPad®, iPod®,
iMac®, or MacBook®, available from Apple Inc., or similar devices
by any other manufacturer such as Android® enabled devices.

[0151] As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic device 110 may include at least
one central processing unit (CPU) 112. The CPU 112 may include one or
more microprocessors. The CPU 112 may provide processing capability to
execute an operating system, run various applications, and/or provide
processing for one or more of the emergency alert methods described
herein. Typical applications that may run on the electronic device 110
include a music player, a video player, a picture displayer, a calendar,
an address book, an email client, a telephone dialer, and so forth. In
addition, software for alerting a user of an emergency may be included on
the electronic device 110.

[0152] A main memory 114 may be communicably coupled to the CPU 112. The
main memory 114 may store data and executable code. The main memory 114
may represent volatile memory such as RAM, but may also include
nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash memory. The
electronic device 110 may also include nonvolatile storage 116. The
nonvolatile storage 116 may represent any suitable nonvolatile storage
medium, such as a hard disk drive or nonvolatile memory, such as flash
memory. The nonvolatile storage 116 is well suited for long-term storage,
so it may store data files such as media (e.g., music files, video files,
pictures, etc.), software (e.g., for implementing functions on the
electronic device), wireless connection information (e.g., wireless
network names and/or passwords, cellular network connections, etc.), and
personal information (e.g., contacts, calendars, email, etc.).
Additionally, data and/or code related to alerting a user of an emergency
may be saved in the nonvolatile storage 116.

[0153] In some embodiments, a display 118 of the electronic device 110 may
display images and/or data. The display 118 may be any suitable display,
such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an electronic
paper display (e.g., e-ink), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an
organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a cathode ray tube (CRT)
display, or an analog or digital television. In some embodiments, the
display 118 may include touch screen or multi-touch screen technology
that permits a user to interface with the electronic device 110.

[0154] The electronic device 110 may also include a user interface 120.
The user interface 120 may include indicator lights, user inputs, and/or
a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display 118. In operation, the
user interface 120 may operate using the CPU 112, using memory from the
main memory 114 and long-term storage in the nonvolatile storage 116. In
an embodiment lacking the display 118, indicator lights, sound devices,
buttons, and other various input/output (I/O) devices may allow a user to
interface with the electronic device 110. In an embodiment having a GUI,
the user interface 120 may permit interaction with interface elements on
the display 118 with user input structures, user input peripherals (e.g.
keyboard and/or mouse, etc.), or a touch sensitive implementation of the
display 118.

[0155] The electronic device 110 may have one or more applications open
and accessible to a user via the user interface 120 and/or displayed on
the display 118. The applications may run on the CPU 112 in conjunction
with the main memory 114, the nonvolatile storage 116, the display 118,
and/or the user interface 120. Various data may be associated with each
open application. As will be discussed in greater detail below,
instructions stored in the main memory 114, the nonvolatile storage 116,
or the CPU 112 of the electronic device 110 may alert a user of an
emergency. It should be appreciated that the instructions for carrying
out such methods may represent a standalone application, a function of
the operating system of the electronic device 110, or a function of the
hardware of the CPU 112, the main memory 114, the nonvolatile storage
116, or other hardware of the electronic device 110.

[0156] In some embodiments, the electronic device 110 may also have
location sensing circuitry 122. The location sensing circuitry 122 may be
global positioning system (GPS) circuitry, but may also represent one or
more algorithms and databases, stored in the nonvolatile storage 116 or
main memory 114 and executed by the CPU 112, which may be used to deduce
location based on various observed factors. For example, the location
sensing circuitry 122 may include an algorithm and database used to
approximate geographic location based on the detection of local wireless
networks (e.g., 802.11x, also known as Wi-Fi) or nearby cellular phone
towers. As discussed above, the electronic device 110 may employ the
location sensing circuitry 122 as a factor for alerting a user of an
emergency. For example, the location sensing circuitry 122 may be used by
the electronic device 110 to determine a user's location during an
emergency event. The location during the event may then affect and/or
determine the information displayed on the electronic device 110.

[0157] With continued reference to FIG. 8, the electronic device 110 may
also include a wired input/output (I/O) interface 124 for a wired
connection between one electronic device 110 and another electronic
device 110. The wired I/O interface 124 may be, for example, a universal
serial bus (USB) port or an IEEE 1394 port, but may also represent a
proprietary connection. In addition, the wired I/O interface 124 may
permit a connection to peripheral user interface devices, such as a
keyboard or a mouse.

[0158] One or more network interfaces 126 may provide additional
connectivity for the electronic device 110. The network interfaces 126
may include one or more network interface cards (NIC) or a network
controller. In some embodiments, the network interface 126 may include a
personal area network (PAN) interface 128. The PAN interface 128 may
provide capabilities to network with, for example, a Bluetooth®
network, an IEEE 802.15.4 (e.g., ZigBee) network, or an ultra-wideband
(UWB) network. It should be appreciated that the networks accessed by the
PAN interface 128 may, but do not necessarily, represent low power, low
bandwidth, or close range Wireless connections. The PAN interface 128 may
permit one electronic device 110 to connect to another local electronic
device 110 via an ad-hoc or peer-to-peer connection. However, the
connection may be disrupted if the separation between the two electronic
devices 110 exceeds the range of the PAN interface 128.

[0159] The network interface 126 may also include a local area network
(LAN) interface 130. The LAN interface 130 may be an interface to a wired
Ethernet-based network or an interface to a wireless LAN, such as a Wi-Fi
network. The range of the LAN interface 130 may generally exceed the
range available via the PAN interface 128. In addition, in many cases, a
connection between two electronic devices 110 via the LAN interface 130
may involve communication through a network router or other intermediary
device.

[0160] In addition, for some embodiments of the electronic device 110, the
network interface 126 may include the capability to connect directly to a
wide area network (WAN) via a WAN interface 132. The WAN interface 132
may permit a connection to a cellular data network, such as the Enhanced
Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3G network, a 4G network,
or another cellular network. When connected via the WAN interface 132,
the electronic device 110 may remain connected to the Internet and, in
some embodiments, to another electronic device 110, despite changes in
location that might otherwise disrupt connectivity via the PAN interface
128 or the LAN interface 130. As will be discussed below, the Wired I/O
interface 24 and the network interfaces 126 may represent high-bandwidth
communication channels for transferring user data using the simplified
data transfer techniques discussed herein.

[0161]FIG. 9A illustrates an embodiment of the electronic device of FIG.
8 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In this
embodiment, the electronic device 110 can be handheld device 134 such as
a portable phone and/or portable media player such as an iPhone®,
iPad®, or iPod® available from Apple, Inc. The handheld device
134 may have an enclosure 136 constructed from plastic, metal, composite
materials, or other suitable materials in any combination. The enclosure
136 may protect the interior components of the handheld device 134 from
physical damage.

[0162] With continued reference to FIG. 9A, the electronic device 110 may
include a user interface 120 in the form of a GUI. The user interface 120
on the display 118 may have one or more individual icons representing
applications that may be activated. In certain embodiments, an emergency
alert application may be selected by a user. For example, the display 118
may serve as a touch-sensitive input device, and the icons may be
selected by touch. As shown in FIG. 9, the emergency alert application
icon 146 can be designated as "PGalert" to indicate to a user that the
selection of the icon 146 will allow the user to launch and use the
emergency alert application. When the emergency alert application icon
146 is selected, the emergency alert application may open, and enable a
user to use the emergency alert application. The handheld device 134 may
also include user input structures that can supplement or replace the
input capability of the display 118 for interaction with the user
interface 120. FIG. 9B illustrates another embodiment of the electronic
device of FIG. 8 as handheld device.

[0163] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the electronic device 110 of
FIG. 8 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. In this
embodiment, the electronic device 110 may be a computer 150. The computer
150 may be any computer such as desktop computer, server, notebook
computer desktop or laptop. For example, the computer 150 may be a PC,
iMac®, or MacBook®, etc. The computer 150 may have a user
interface 120 that may be displayed on the display 118 of the computer
150 in the form of a GUI. The user interface 120 may show, for example,
user interfaces for application 152 running on the computer 150. A user
may interact with the user interface 120 via various peripheral input
devices such as a keyboard 154 and/or mouse 156.

[0164] As discussed above, one or more electronic devices 110 may be
configured to alert a user of an emergency. The electronic device 110 may
be used to alert a user of an emergency as discussed above in relation to
FIG. 4 at 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, and 52. However, instead of using a
satellite 14 for transmitting the emergency alert message and geographic
area message, a cellular network or Internet may be used as an
alternative transmission options.

[0165] For example, as discussed above in relation to FIG. 4 and also
shown in FIG. 10, an emergency operator may use a front end application
152 that is a geographic mapping system that is on an electronic device
110 such as a computer 150 to define an alert area within which all
persons must receive an alert message. The area defined to receive the
alert may be stored in a geographic area message. The front end
application 152 may be instructions stored in the main memory 114, the
nonvolatile storage 116, or the CPU 112 of the computer 150 may alert a
user of an emergency. Alternatively, the front end application 152 may be
accessed from one or more servers via the Internet on a website using the
computer 150. The front end application 152 may permit the emergency
operator to specify the alert area using circles (indicating the radius
in miles), squares, rectangles, or multi-sided polygons. The selected
area may be lighted with a transparent layer having a color such as red,
yellow, and so forth. Alternatively, the front end application 152 may
allow the emergency operator to specify an entire jurisdiction.

[0166] The front end application 152 may include a secure login feature
that limits access only to an authorized emergency operator. This may
prevent unauthorized access to the front end application 152.
Additionally, the front end application 152 may further limit access by
restricting the geographic area operators may target for alert messages.
For example, an emergency operator for the city police may send an alert
message only to those people within the geographic area encompassed by
the city limits. Whereas, an emergency operator for the state police may
send an alert message to persons located anywhere within in the state
including the city. This front end application 152 could use electronic
street maps, satellite images, or combined satellite images overlaid with
street map information. A suitable example of an electronic map includes
a customized version of Google® maps.

[0167] The front end application 152 may also allow the emergency operator
to select, create, and/or record an emergency alert message. The front
end application 152 may assign a unique identifier to the emergency alert
message and/or geographic area message. The front end application 152 may
also allow the emergency operator to send the emergency alert message and
geographic area message. The emergency alert message and geographic area
message may be transmitted to other electronic devices 110 via the
cellular system or Internet.

[0168] An exemplary emergency alert message created by an emergency
operator shown in FIG. 11 at 160. As FIG. 11 illustrates, the front end
application can permit the emergency operator to create an emergency
alert message may include a variety of information such as time, date,
location, emergency operations center identification, emergency tips,
emergency type, and so forth. The emergency alert message may also
include web enabled links and/or telephone numbers that are directed to
additional sources with further information.

[0169] One or more electronic devices 110 may also be configured to
receive a transmitted emergency alert message and geographic area
message. The electronic device 110 may be used to alert a user of an
emergency as discussed above in relation and EAED in FIG. 4 at 54, 56,
58, 60, 62, 64, and 66. Again, instead of using a satellite system, the
electronic device 110 may receive the emergency alert message and
geographic area message via a cellular network or Internet.

[0170] As shown in FIGS. 9A. 9B, 12A, 12B, 13A and 13B, the electronic
device 110 may be a handheld device 134 having a device application 146
configured to notify a user of an emergency. Once the handheld device 134
receives the emergency alert message and geographic alert message area,
the device application 146 may authenticate the geographic area message
and/or emergency alert message. The device application 146 may also
determine whether the handheld device 134 is located within a geographic
area of concern using location data from the handheld device 134, which
may be obtained from location sensing circuitry 122. The device
application 146 may also authenticate the geographic area message and/or
emergency alert message.

[0171] The device application 146 may present the emergency alert message
on the handheld device 134 if the handheld device 134 is located within
the geographic area of concern. The device application 146 may alert the
user in several manners (e.g. playing a unique and/or specified alert
warning tone, vibrating using a unique and/or specified alert warning
tone, displaying a banner indicating an alert message has arrives, and so
forth.) The device application may repeatedly alert the user over a
specified time period (e.g. every 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 10
minutes, etc.).

[0172] An exemplary emergency alert that can be presented by the device
application 146 on the electronic device 110 is shown in FIG. 12A. An
exemplary emergency alert that can be presented by the device application
146 on a handheld device 134 is shown in FIG. 12B.

[0173]FIG. 13A depicts an exemplary emergency alert message that may be
presented by the device application 146 on the electronic device 110.
FIG. 13B depicts an exemplary emergency alert message that may be
presented by the device application 146 on a handheld device 134.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B, the emergency alert message may
contain a variety of information such as emergency type, emergency
location, emergency operations center identification, emergency tips, and
so forth.

[0175] The device application 146 may also allow the user to view current
and previous alerts at any time. In addition, the device application may
allow the user to add one or more fixed geographic locations that may be
distinct from the location of the handheld device 134. This can allow the
user to receive alerts in many locations. For example, if the user is
traveling out of town, they could still receive alerts at their home
address as well as the location of where they are traveling (i.e. the
location of the handheld device 134). The device application 146 may also
be configured to allow the user to directly contact emergency authorities
(police, fire, EMS, 911, etc.) without having to enter in the contact
information. The device application 146 would already have this
information. The user could select a "quick dial" option that would dial
a selected emergency authority. The device application 146 can also be
configured to alert others (e.g. family members, friends, etc.) in the
same manner as an emergency authority. The device application 146 can
also be figured to have links to major and local news outlets based on
the current location of the handheld device 134